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12 Organizations Join In Marylanders Grow Oysters Program

Applications from Interested NGOs Still Being Accepted

Annapolis, MD - Maryland’s citizen oyster growing program has invited
12 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to coordinate oyster growing efforts in
their local tributaries in 2009. Launched by Governor Martin O’Malley in
September 2008, Marylanders Grow Oysters fosters stewardship of the Chesapeake
Bay among citizens, and creates living oyster reef populations in protected
sanctuaries to help restore the iconic species.

“We are thrilled that these organizations have been selected and will help
expand this exciting program,” said Governor O’Malley. “By becoming leaders in
their tributaries for Maryland’s oyster growing efforts, they will inspire
others to become stewards of our waterways and promote healthy, plentiful oyster
populations for many years to come.”

These 12 NGOs, located in 11 different tributaries in Maryland, will act as
local project coordinators who will identify waterfront property owners willing
to become oyster growers and deliver oyster cages and oysters to growers in the
tributary.

Through the program, citizen volunteers tend to young oysters growing in wire
mesh cages suspended from private piers for their first year of life. The oyster
spat and cages are provided by DNR and other program partners at no charge to
the volunteers. The oysters require minimal care – mostly rinsing the cages
every two weeks.

Citizen oyster growers enjoy the personal rewards of stewardship and learn about
oysters while contributing to the enhancement of an oyster reef in their local
tributary. The year-old oysters are then collected and planted in a local oyster
sanctuary, and a new group of young oysters are distributed to participating
growers to start the process again.

The Marylanders Grow Oysters Program is being managed by the Maryland Department
of Natural Resources in conjunction with the Oyster Recovery Partnership, the
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and the Maryland
Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. For more information about
Marylanders Grow Oysters visit
www.dnr.maryland.gov/oysterproject.

Introduced by Governor Martin O’Malley in October 2008, Maryland’s Smart, Green
& Growing initiative was created to strengthen the state’s leadership role in
fostering smarter, more sustainable growth and inspiring action among all
Marylanders to achieve a more sustainable future. The initiative brings together
state agencies, local governments, businesses and citizens to create more
livable communities, improve transportation options, reduce the state’s carbon
footprint, support resource based industry, invest in green technologies,
preserve valuable resource lands and restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which
is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, is the state agency responsible
for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and
visitors. DNR manages more than 461,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 miles
of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries, and wildlife for maximum
environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land
conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic, and cultural resources
attract 12 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's
effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental
priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov